Donegal ladies get first win of season in Kildare

DONEGAL Ladies took full points from their trip to Kildare thanks to a great all-round team performance and very good opening half with Geraldine McLaughlin and Eilish Ward to the fore.

DONEGAL Ladies took full points from their trip to Kildare thanks to a great all-round team performance and very good opening half with Geraldine McLaughlin and Eilish Ward to the fore.

Kildare 3-8

Donegal 4-11

Donegal looked to have a certain goal in the opening minutes but Kildare keeper Catriona Dolan pulled off a super save. Orla Carr opened the scoring for Donegal on four minutes. Kildare moved the ball up the field and centre back Kate Leahy finished the ball to the back of the net. Geraldine McLaughlin scored a free for Donegal in the 8th minute, quickly followed by another point to equalise the teams.

In the 9th minute, McLaughlin stepped up to bury the ball past the Kildare keeper. Donegal’s Eilish Ward lobbed a ball in and Dolan looked to have dealt with it but the ball found its way in to the back of the net.

On 12 minutes, McLaughlin had added a third goal for her side. Roisin McCaffery added another point for her side a minute later. With 20 minutes played, a free kick from Gately dropped short to kick Kildare back in to the game making the score Kildare 2-0 Donegal 3-4. McLaughlin added her second free of the game and popped over another point a few seconds later. Grainne Houston scored a great point for Donegal with 24 minutes played. Aine Gately added a great point for Kildare a minute later. Niamh Mailey added a point for Donegal before Feeney added one more for the Ulster side just before half time. Half time score Kildare 2-1 Donegal 3-9.

Maria Moolick opened the second half scoring for Kildare with a well taken point. Eimear Fogarty scored a free a minute later in only her second game in a Kildare senior jersey. Another emerging Kildare star, Roisin Byrne lobbed in a ball that ended up over the keepers head bringing the homeside back in to the game.

McLaughlin popped over another Donegal point from a free. Aine Gately did the same for the lilywhites at the other end of the field. 16 minutes in to the second half the same player was very unlucky not to snatch a Kildare goal. On 18 minutes Gately brought it back to 5 points between the sides and her determination added a further point a minute later. McLaughlin stretched Donegals lead back to 5 points.

Eilish Ward scored a goal to rule out any chance of a Kildare comeback. Substitute Sinead Melia scored a super point for Kildare with 25 minutes played in the second half. This was to be the last score of the game on what turned out to be a good game of football with some great spells of movement from both teams.

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